Company: DMM Group
Tape Name: Street Self Defense 101 - Volume 2
Tape Cost: $39.99 for Vol 1 & 2
Length of Tape/Time: 47 minutes
Number of Moves/Techniques: 20 techniques
Return Policy: NA
Experiences in dealing with this company: NA
The Instructor: Michael Pace
Company's Address: 1 Stone Ridge Rd. Sussex, NJ 07461
Company's Phone Number: 1-888-857-5715
Web Page: http://www.self-defense-videos.com
E-Mail: mpace02@pacekarate.com

Primary Grading Criteria:

1. Production/Tape Quality: 70
2. Instructors demonstrated skill level: 50
3. Comprehension Score/Immediate Understanding: 50
4. Degree to which this will make someone a better Martial Artist: 20
5. Score on delivery vs hype: 20
6. Degree to which we would recommend this product: 0
7. Wasted Time ( The higher the number,the less " fluff" /repetition ): 80
8. Playback Score/Watching it over-and-over again: 0
9. Would I purchase more of this company's products: 0
10. Overall grade based on cost vs. value: 0

Grand Total: 28% (Poor/Fair)

Secondary Grading Criteria:

1. Beginners benefit: Poor
2. Intermediate benefit: Poor
3. Advanced benefit: Poor
4. Time to benefit: Little-to-no benefit, so who cares!
5. The need to buy additional tapes to understand this one: None

Written Summary:

If you read the previous Pace review, this one will more-or-less be a simliar rehash of the same. I guess a zebra can't change its stripes! Difference on this one, I became a little more disturbed about some of the things I saw.

Pace goes through almost 20 self defense situations, and I'll use some of his terminology to describe them:

Front Choke
Round House Punch
Single Lapel Grab
Front Bear Hug
Rear Bear Hug
Full Nelson
Front Head Choke (Guillotine)
Rear Choke
Round House Kick
Club Defense for Vertical Overhand Strike
Club Defense for Horizontal Strike
Club Defense for a Backhand Horizontal Strike
Handgun Defense at Mid Chest
Handgun Defense at Front of Head
Handgun Defense from Rear at Mid Back
Handgun Defense from Rear at Back of Head
Knife Defense from Overhand Strike
Knife Defense against Straight Stomach Stab
Knife Defense against Rapid and Repeated Horizontal Slashing

Breaking it down quickly, I saw many techniques where I felt what Pace showed was not the quickest or easiest response (just like his previous dvd). It's as if Pace kept saying one thing, but doing something else! Specifically, he says on this dvd: "These techniques are advanced yet simple"! If these are simple, I'd hate to know what he calls complicated!

At times I got the feeling on each technique Pace wanted to get fancy, impress us with his breadth of knowledge, and in many instances was implying "Here's 6 different ways to do this technique, pick one". That approach bothers me and here's why. Informational vomitting creates informational overload! It's as if Pace is trying to say "Look right here in the Self-Defense Encyclopedia, there's 6 ways to do this, you decide". Now I don't know to what extent Mr. Pace has run a school or actually taught students, but there are certain people that if you give them too many choices on how to handle a situation, they freeze under stress! Why! Because in their mind they're often thinking: "I know there were 6 ways to handle this, I just can't remember what I was suppose to do". Kind of like a traffic jam that occurs in peoples heads when there's too much information, too many choices, combined with stress and fear. Best way to address that problem, fewer choices for a beginner, and/or reality based training.

Pace is marketing this as "Self Defense 101". Anyone that's had some college knows that the "101" designation means BEGINNER level in any course/subject! You don't overwhelm a beginner with 6+ ways to do each technique, and do that for almost 30 techniques on 2 different tapes, and imply "You choose what works"! Show them one best technique for each situation! Start them out slow, piece-by-piece, so they get it. Don't just hand someone a Self-Defense Encyclopedia and say "Here it is, good luck". That's like handing someone that wants to know the English language a dictionary, and saying read it and you'll know the English language! You show a person one technique, and maybe later, after they've gotten that one technique down pat, then show them something else.

I'd rather have 1 technique I've practiced and can respond too for a certain situation without thinking, than 6 that confuse me and that I have to think about before responding! You don't have time in the street to think! In the street you'll be lucky to have milliseconds! One of the problems with "technique overload" is the inability under REAL stress to unconsciously recall what you were taught! Here's the worst thing I'd ever want a student thinking the last few minutes of their life against an attacker: "I can't remember what Mr. Mann showed me to do after I grab someones wrist like this". Personally, I think the information Pace shows confuses a person more than helps them. As said earlier, Pace says he's making things simple, but I think he does't realize he's not only complicating and overwhelming his audience, but he fails to take charge and proactively suggest a preferred technique for each situation!

There were numerous problems with Pace's material, some more serious than others. To sum up the problems I had with this:

1. Too many techniques shown for each situation without preference stated
2. Too much to remember, information overload
3. Often the easiest technique was completely overlooked and not shown!
4. Complicated time consuming techniques shown
5. Questionable techniques were shown - leaving a person open for counters/attacks

My thoughts? I'd "Pass on Pace!"

EM

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